Future debaters in training

With many of our champion orators leaving for higher education this year, the English Department put some of our future stars through their paces in a three hour debating workshop. Despite being unfamiliar with the formal rules of debating, students rose to the challenge and particularly enjoyed the competitive nature of the event. There were resounding rebuttals, precise points of information and searing summations as they sought to see their motions passed or denied.

Despite being new to the role, they didn’t get an easy ride as they had complex motions to research and debate. Our first proposal was ‘This house would allow criminals to do frontline military service in exchange for a shorter sentence’ and our second, ‘This house would encourage the boycotting of retail companies who use sweat-shops’.

Both topics were approached with maturity and the teams took time to build their cases with well-supported arguments. Ffynone House’s long-standing reputation for excellence in debate is certainly safe in their hands and we look forward to supporting them as they perform in more public arenas during the next academic year.